Hungary's Leopard 2A7HU tank fleet reaches full strength after final delivery from Germany.

The Hungarian Defence Forces received the final Leopard 2A7HU main battle tank on December 12, 2025, completing a fleet of 44 vehicles assigned to the Klapka György 1st Armored Brigade.

On December 12, 2025, the Hungarian Defence Forces took delivery of the final Leopard 2A7HU main battle tank from KNDS Deutschland, with the handover of the 44th unit to the Klapka György 1st Armored Brigade in Tata. Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Chief of Defence General Gábor Böröndi were present, as this marked the full operational strength of Hungary’s Leopard new armored battalion.
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The event was also the conclusion of a multi-year delivery phase that brought together tanks, supporting vehicles, training infrastructure, and sustainment arrangements in a single formation. (Picture source: Hungarian MoD)

The origins of Hungary’s Leopard program are tied to a broader reassessment of land forces conducted in the mid-2010s, when the government concluded that existing armored capabilities based on Soviet-era tanks no longer met national defense requirements, and the country’s economic situation by 2015 made it possible to sign contracts. This process, which rebuilt the heavy armored forces from the ground up, was not limited to replacing tanks but focused on restoring a full-spectrum armored capability, including mobility support, recovery assets, training systems, and logistics. The Leopard acquisition, therefore, emerged as part of a deliberate long-term plan rather than a rapid procurement to reestablish a modern armored battalion compatible with NATO standards and operational concepts.

This modernization path was formalized in December 2018 through a comprehensive agreement with KNDS Deutschland, which covered 44 Leopard 2A7HU main battle tanks, 24 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, three Leguan bridge-laying systems, five WiSENT recovery vehicles, and a dedicated simulation center, along with a full training and logistics framework. Deliveries were phased between 2023 and 2025 to allow gradual force buildup and crew preparation. To bridge the transition, 12 Leopard 2A4HU tanks were introduced for training purposes in December 2020, enabling crews to shift from the ageing T-72M1, which Hungary acquired during the Cold War when it was part of the Warsaw Pact, to more modern Western tanks before the first delivery of Leopard 2A7HUs in August 2023.

The Leopard 2A7HU, which now represents the most modern tank variant in Hungarian service, possesses several specifics, such as an FN Herstal Remote Weapon Station (RWS), an improved roof protection, an upgraded fire control system (FCS) with automatic target tracking, and a new PERI RTWL stabilized commander's sight. Based on the Leopard 2A7+, the 2A7HU retains a four-person crew consisting of a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver, with the driver positioned on the right side of the hull. The hull measures 7.7 meters in length, while overall length reaches 10.97 meters with the main gun forward, and the tank has a width of 3.76 meters without additional armor modules and a height of 3.03 meters. Its main armament is a Rheinmetall 120 mm L55A1 gun, which allows the use of modern high-pressure ammunition and extended-range kinetic energy rounds at ranges of up to 5,000 meters, supported by a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7 mm remote weapon station for close-in defense. Two banks of eight 76 mm grenade launchers provide smoke screening and high-explosive grenade capability, supporting both defensive maneuvers and obscuration during movement.

The Leopard 2A7HU also retains the MTU MB 873 Ka-501 V12 diesel engine producing 1,500 horsepower, coupled with the Renk HSWL 354 transmission, allowing for speeds of up to 68–72 km/h despite an approximate combat weight of 67.5 tonnes. The tank is capable of crossing wet gaps up to 1.2 meters, fording deliberately to 2.25 meters, and conducting deep wading operations to depths of 4 meters with appropriate preparation, enabling operation across rivers and complex terrain when supported by engineering assets such as the Leguan bridge-layer. Its protection architecture combines composite armor with a wedged add-on self-limiting explosive reactive armor module designed to improve survivability against modern threats. An optional 360-degree Urban kit can be fitted to enhance protection in built-up environments and removed when not required, as well as additional rubber sheets. Hungarian military leadership has emphasized that these features must be paired with adapted tactics and training to address emerging challenges such as unmanned aerial threats.

Beyond the vehicle itself, Hungary has built a support structure intended to sustain Leopard 2A7HU operations over the long term. Maintenance and availability responsibilities are anchored domestically through KNDS Hungary Kft., ensuring that technical support and servicing are conducted inside the country. Ammunition procurement includes several types of armor-piercing rounds and two types of short-range training shells, with large quantities ordered under contracts involving Rheinmetall and with production linked to the Várpalota artillery shell plant in cooperation with Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH. Training is centered in Tata, where a renovated training and simulation facility was inaugurated in October, which includes a turret simulator and supports continuous crew qualification, complemented by live-fire and system adjustment activities at the Szomód range. Together, these elements frame the Leopard 2A7HU fleet as a permanently integrated component of Hungary’s modernized armored forces.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.